Hormone Imbalance Treated with Acupuncture

For a long time acupuncture has been an ancient Chinese therapy believed to cure everything from cancer to addictions. Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System are the first federally funded study for the use of acupuncture to stabilize the hormones of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS.

About five percent of women who are at reproductive age have PCOS. A characteristic of the syndrome is hormonal imbalance which causes problems with ovulation and as a result fertility. Small cysts may occur on the ovaries of some women with PCOS. Other symptoms of PCOS include heavy or irregular vaginal bleeding, male pattern hair growth and acne. Pre-diabetes and insulin resistance can occur in some cases.

To manage this syndrome there are many traditional drugs and therapies but acupuncture is thought to regulate hormones and as a result cure PCOS. Researchers hope that by pricking certain pressure points affecting the hormones in the kidney with tiny needles they can find if acupuncture helps restore the balance.

Throughout a women's menstrual cycle hormones normally go up and down. However, in women with PCOS these levels remain flat. The University research team has found that some women in the study regain a normal hormone rhythm. Some women who participated in the study never had regular periods until after acupuncture treatment.

For women the top cause of infertility is PCOS. Acupuncture may become an important alternative medical treatment for PCOS now that research is underway. It is also an excellent treatment option for women with ovulatory and hormonal irregularities without having to use drug therapies.

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